The present invention relates a hollow appliance handle and in particular relates to a full grip gas assist refrigerator door handle.
There has been a preference among consumers for handles of household refrigerators that have a soft feel or touch. In the past the soft touch was achieved to some degree by the use of multi-component assemblies including soft inserts.
More recently xe2x80x9csoft touchxe2x80x9d refrigerator handles have been manufactured by injection molding of a relatively thick covering of an elastomer around a channel-shaped metal reinforcement member that extends the length of the door handle. This handle is expensive to manufacture and requires a relatively large amount of elastomer molded around the metal reinforcement member to provide the xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d touch or feel.
Even more recently, handles for household refrigerators have been developed comprising a hollow tubular metal core having an outer coating of thermoplastic surrounding the tubular metal to reduce the amount of elastomer or thermoplastic coating. However, the tubular metal provides a reinforcement that extends the length of the refrigerator handle and still provides a soft feel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hollow handle assembly for household refrigerators that does not require a metal stiffener or tubular member extending along its full length.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an improved handle assembly which provides a full grip solid feel to the user while providing rigid connection at its distal ends to the refrigerator.
It is still another object to provide such an improved handle assembly which is simple in construction and has a solid feel in application along its central full grip portion.
The present invention relates to a full grip door handle that has a hollow grip portion with two distal end portions which are preferably a solid material and encase a metal insert. The metal insert reinforces the distal end portions of the handle to permit for the securement of the handle relative to an appliance and limit bending movement relative thereto at the distal end portions. The hollow full grip portion of the door handle comprises a solid feel non-bending thermoplastic material and has no tubing or metal reinforcement extending along it""s length between the two distal closed end portions.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an appliance comprising a cabinet and a door mounted to provide access to the interior of the cabinet. The door includes a front panel and a rear panel joined by elongated side panels. The appliance includes an elongate handle comprising two thermoplastic distal closed end portions extending from a full grip portion. The grip portion consists of a thin walled, hollow and molded thermoplastic material. The two distal closed end portions each have a first surface that is in abutment with the door front panel to position the full grip portion overlapping and spaced from the door front panel. Each of the two distal end portions has a second surface substantially orthogonal to the first surface attached to and abutting one of the door side panels. The appliance has metal inserts each encased in a respective one of the distal end portions for reinforcing the handle. Each of the inserts has a first member that extends substantially parallel to the one door side panel and a second member that projects into the distal end portion from the first member.